I am having a very barren few weeks with no new poems, as I mentioned in the last post I am recording snippets in my note book but nothing is really gelling and I am not finishing anything. So today I am going to list a few sites which I have been looking at for inspiration and new skills/etc.
Poets United - a community for poets who blog
Can U Write, naming a poem
GypsyWhim - a new artists community
Poetic parfait - poetry (what else?)
Haiku Heights - weekly prompts for Haiku
Poetry Foundation - poetry, articles resources
Poetry express - imagine, create, connect
Creative Writing Now - prompts for poetry
Just a contest - poetry competitions in the UK
Well that seems to be a good start and of course many of these will suggest other links for poets.
Sunday, 28 October 2012
Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Why Is Writing Poetry So Difficult At the Moment?
I am having trouble with writing poetry at the moment, I want to know why. A few months ago I was able to get some down, two or three at a time. But at the moment, I can start off with a couple of lines and then dry up. One thing is that I am writing about things which happen to me and unlike those first few weeks I am not doing much, I guess. And a reservoir of ideas and creativity seems to have dried up.
Too many starts and not enough finishes / completions. I mean what can you write about a leaf falling:-
Or a bird which gets itself stuck, in a chain link fence:- Not even to enough to bother with yet.
What about a sunny morning in October:-
A house for sale sign:-
Too many promising starts, most of the above actually run to three or four verses but at the end, I am thinking, "SO WHAT?" I saw this in one of the how to poetry writing books I have been reaading and it has bothered me ever since. So the point of a poem has become more important to me, and most of mine are simply descriptive of events which happen to or around me. How can I make them more relevant. To what I ask? and the answer is I don't know. I must try and read that book again.
The other thing is bothering about small words and making poems more noun orientated. However, I am getting over that - if it works then so be it whichever it may be; but I do still prefer my lines to scan properly.
A bit of a rant and just wanted to show I have been thinking about poetry, just not getting very far.
Too many starts and not enough finishes / completions. I mean what can you write about a leaf falling:-
A leaf falls
A cloud crawls
Across a darkening sky
The year turns
My heart yearns
For a summer lost, I sigh
Or a bird which gets itself stuck, in a chain link fence:- Not even to enough to bother with yet.
What about a sunny morning in October:-
Languid lazy water
Reflects the morning sun
A chill hovers before that disc
Waiting soon to run
A house for sale sign:-
Down our road houses marked
Signs proclaiming house for sale
Appearing like new flowers at dawn
On fertile hill and dale
Too many promising starts, most of the above actually run to three or four verses but at the end, I am thinking, "SO WHAT?" I saw this in one of the how to poetry writing books I have been reaading and it has bothered me ever since. So the point of a poem has become more important to me, and most of mine are simply descriptive of events which happen to or around me. How can I make them more relevant. To what I ask? and the answer is I don't know. I must try and read that book again.
The other thing is bothering about small words and making poems more noun orientated. However, I am getting over that - if it works then so be it whichever it may be; but I do still prefer my lines to scan properly.
A bit of a rant and just wanted to show I have been thinking about poetry, just not getting very far.
Wednesday, 10 October 2012
Writing Poetry Is Easy
Something a little different this time. I have been a little busy and poetry has not been uppermost in my mind - in fact I have nnot written anything poetic. I have however been writing daily. I have found a web site which acts like a private journal and encourages the writing of 750 words everyday. This could be your next novel, a poem, your next blog post or simply a mass of complete gobbledygook if you are finding that you have a bad case of writers block. Even pressing a single key on the keyboard a few dozen times could get you back on track!
I have tried it for eight days so far and although there is nothing concrete coming back to me, I am finding that already I am writing more in comments and even tags on my posts, etc. I actually wrote about plans for my internet projects, the weather, how I felt about all sorts of things. The point is that it is not going to be seen by anybody else so you don't necessarily need to bother about typos or spelling, the things which often get in the way of a train of thoughts (although I find that it is good practice to edit as I write) it is about creating a piece of writing for practice or even as a draft for what ever you are into at the moment, one of the reasons referred to above.
I have also been busy adding to my Zazzle store (for UK Zazzle store use this link), as I said above the descriptions and even the tags / keywords have benefitted from the practice from 750words.com
Right, now down to a little bit about poetry. I have selected the following five web pages from Squidoo as being very easy to follow and inspirational for writers new to poetry. There are many other much more detailed and complete sites around the web which I will try to list soon, I am taking stock of how helpful they can be to poets. As sources of help, community and inspiration to poets.
How to write a poem - it's easy
How to write a poem Like me
How to write a really great poem
So you want to be a poet, how to write a poem
Learning to write when you dont want to
I hope that these will be useful to even those readers who count themselves as experienced. I always feel that we can learn from most things written about a subject we think we know if we look with an open mind.
I have tried it for eight days so far and although there is nothing concrete coming back to me, I am finding that already I am writing more in comments and even tags on my posts, etc. I actually wrote about plans for my internet projects, the weather, how I felt about all sorts of things. The point is that it is not going to be seen by anybody else so you don't necessarily need to bother about typos or spelling, the things which often get in the way of a train of thoughts (although I find that it is good practice to edit as I write) it is about creating a piece of writing for practice or even as a draft for what ever you are into at the moment, one of the reasons referred to above.
I have also been busy adding to my Zazzle store (for UK Zazzle store use this link), as I said above the descriptions and even the tags / keywords have benefitted from the practice from 750words.com
Right, now down to a little bit about poetry. I have selected the following five web pages from Squidoo as being very easy to follow and inspirational for writers new to poetry. There are many other much more detailed and complete sites around the web which I will try to list soon, I am taking stock of how helpful they can be to poets. As sources of help, community and inspiration to poets.
How to write a poem - it's easy
How to write a poem Like me
How to write a really great poem
So you want to be a poet, how to write a poem
Learning to write when you dont want to
I hope that these will be useful to even those readers who count themselves as experienced. I always feel that we can learn from most things written about a subject we think we know if we look with an open mind.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
A wake-up Call, A New Poem
A wake-up call
Leaves tap
tapping on my window
Each leaf
played by soft breezes
Waking me at
morning light
In a gentle
way that pleases
Waves lap
lapping on the shoreline
Just as
consciousness returns
Wakefulness
from deep within
Though for
sleep my mind still yearns
Wings flap
flapping ‘round my bedroom
A window’s
opened on the morn
In frenzied
haste these wings are chased
By light as
the day is born
Who’s rap
rapping on my door now
I’m not
ready for the day
I know what
I said last evening
But please
just go away
It can’t be
time, it’s early yet
It hurts to
raise my head
I’ll be
there soon, yes – before noon
But for now
I need my bed
Stop that
bang, bang, banging
That’s
enough, I’m giving in
Just stop
that noise, give me some peace
I’ll be there, alright, you win
We stopped
in a guest house / hotel for a week and there were mature trees and a large
palm tree right outside the window, see image. Gave me the idea and inspiration for this
poem.
The Ness Tunnel at Shaldon; A poem
The Ness Tunnel, Shaldon
Walk straight ahead.
Take the first turn on the right;
You can’t miss it,
It’s the only turn
Of course you’ll be alright.
Take the first turn on the right;
You can’t miss it,
It’s the only turn
Of course you’ll be alright.
Once around the corner
You will see just where to go.
Watch the steps
They can be slippy.
Just head straight for the light.
At the tunnels end
Find a secluded beach;
But the cliffs
May not be stable,
So take care, enjoy the sights.
You will see just where to go.
Watch the steps
They can be slippy.
Just head straight for the light.
At the tunnels end
Find a secluded beach;
But the cliffs
May not be stable,
So take care, enjoy the sights.
This tunnel known locally as the smugglers tunnel was built to service a lime kiln built into a rocky cliff which separates the beach from the area beyond. Lime was landed on the beach and transported through the tunnel along with other goods. During WW2, the tunnel was blocked by causing a roof fall. This is still the case but another exit to the beach was built a little distance away for use by holiday-makers and the local populous to enable this secluded and private beach to be used.
Not sure if I am happy with this at all. Lack of rhyme and structure leaves me very unhappy buut I shall persevere and see how far I can get before needing to revisit objectives.
PS just changed the last lines of the second and third verse, is it an improvement?
Once around the corner
You will see just where to go.
Watch the steps
They can be slippy.
Just straight ahead, you'll know.
At the tunnels end
Find a secluded beach;
But the cliffs
May not be stable,
So take care, stay out of reach.
You will see just where to go.
Watch the steps
They can be slippy.
Just straight ahead, you'll know.
At the tunnels end
Find a secluded beach;
But the cliffs
May not be stable,
So take care, stay out of reach.
I think I find it an improvement but it does not give the punchy modern style which I think I am aiming for. But then again, neither did the original, LOL. Oh well c'est la vie.
Thursday, 6 September 2012
My Poetry Takes A New Direction
In answer to the questions I posed to myself in a recent post, the Difference between amateur and professional poetry, I have been trying out a new way of writing poetry.
I am not sure if this makes my poetry any better, if it is any good at all, or indeed if I like it. However I am determined to "improve" my writing and this is very much an experiment to see how things work out. Thus far I have approached poetry as a means of entertainment. Coming from writing songs, my poetry was simply an extension of my lyrics. However the more I read about poetry, it seems that poetry should be more than this. I am not sure that I agree and this seems to be very much an academic view but to get anywhere in the various poetry writing contests and potentially getting published, one needs to join in with the fashions as set by those academics.
I intend to write a post about my feelings on this very soon. But for now, here is my newest poem:-
AUTUMN
Summer recedes,
days lengthen,
nights draw in.
Warm clothing erupts from hiding
deep in wardrobe recesses.
The year creeps on.
Shadowed trees
Proudly silhouetted
Against a darkening evening sky.
Leaves whisper,
“We are still here”.
Soon colours yellow, gold red and ochre
will carpet the ground
beneath those ancient giants,
boughs reaching
to the sky above.
The year grinds on.
Autumn extravaganza
Harvested and stored,
Larders bulging.
Winter arrives
The year slides around.
Almost a bout of free writing but there was a lot of editing involved. However, there is still not much use of metaphors and word pictures. Maybe I still need to work on it, leave it a couple of weeks and come back again; see where I can take it?
The project continues ....................
I am not sure if this makes my poetry any better, if it is any good at all, or indeed if I like it. However I am determined to "improve" my writing and this is very much an experiment to see how things work out. Thus far I have approached poetry as a means of entertainment. Coming from writing songs, my poetry was simply an extension of my lyrics. However the more I read about poetry, it seems that poetry should be more than this. I am not sure that I agree and this seems to be very much an academic view but to get anywhere in the various poetry writing contests and potentially getting published, one needs to join in with the fashions as set by those academics.
I intend to write a post about my feelings on this very soon. But for now, here is my newest poem:-
Summer recedes,
days lengthen,
nights draw in.
Warm clothing erupts from hiding
deep in wardrobe recesses.
The year creeps on.
Shadowed trees
Proudly silhouetted
Against a darkening evening sky.
Leaves whisper,
“We are still here”.
Soon colours yellow, gold red and ochre
will carpet the ground
beneath those ancient giants,
boughs reaching
to the sky above.
The year grinds on.
Autumn extravaganza
Harvested and stored,
Larders bulging.
Winter arrives
The year slides around.
Almost a bout of free writing but there was a lot of editing involved. However, there is still not much use of metaphors and word pictures. Maybe I still need to work on it, leave it a couple of weeks and come back again; see where I can take it?
The project continues ....................
Saturday, 1 September 2012
The Wind and I, a poem for September
I battled the wind to work today,
A friendly little bout.
No doubt I won and won quite fair,
His fingers ruffled my well-combed hair
But I won without a doubt.
He called upon his friend the rain,
To help out with the match
Far too late to change his fate,
The result never was under debate
This was, and is my patch.
After rain the heavy brigade
And now here comes the hail.
Solid chunks of ice came sparring,
Joined the fray; set teeth a jarring
But it was all to no avail.
At this he became so angry
He blew up quite a storm.
Thunder, lightening, nothing spared
For damage done he little cared.
I watched eyes full of scorn.
Such a frightening temper tantrum
The like you never saw.
But I kept calm, and would not flinch
I would not budge, no not an inch
His attitude? Shock and awe.
After this he calmed right down
Embarrassed by my scorn.
The damage done, no going back,
No way to take a different tack,
His locks had now been shorn.
His strength abated, the sun returned
The spoiled child was done.
Gentle breezes plied the air
He almost wished he wasn’t there,
A new day had begun.
This is probably the first time I have written a poem with a five lined verse or stanza (aka quintain). Not sure how it came about but I had the first two lines in the first stanza and also the 4th and 5th lines. I couldn't figure out to to put them together, until I decided to complete the stanza with a line rhyming with the second line. It's good to try something different, yes?
In fact, I had just updated a Squidoo lens that I wrote explaining how a poem entitled the wind had been written. I completed the lens with pictures and information on the New Orleans disaster. The update was to add the issues with hurricane Isaac, this year (almost to the day) causing new fears for the residents of New Orleans. Luckily this year the flooding was far less severe.
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